For almost a year or so we have been hearing rumors of a new Mac Mini being dropped upon us.  So far we have all been in utter disappointment at the lack of care the wee little Mac has received as compared with the rest of the Mac line.  Apple Insider has found what they believe to be an early photo of the new Mac Mini.  As rumored, the photo shows the two separate display port options, both mini DVI and mini Display Port.  Lets hope our little friend will gets the recognition it deserves soon.

  We have heard this about a thousand times now and Apple keeps denying it.  This is the fact that a tablet-based Mac is in the works.  There is no doubt Apple has been toying with the idea or has at least once, as they have a research department.  The new patent describes the following:

[0015]As a housing for a computer device, one embodiment of the invention includes: a front shell; a back shell coupled to said front shell to produce said housing, electrical components for the computer device being internal to said housing; and a foam stiffener provided internal to said housing to substantially fill unused space internal to said housing, thereby providing stiffness to said housing.

[0017]As a computer system, one embodiment of the invention includes: an antenna, said antenna being configured to transmit or receive RF signals; and a computer housing, said computer housing being configured to enclose said antenna such that said antenna is entirely contained internal to said computer housing and is operable while being internal to said computer housing without having to extend any portion of said antenna outside said computer housing.

This could be a simple wireless display technology or it could be a new Mac tablet.  Whatever it is, I seriously doubt we will see it any time soon, although I would love to.

[via electronicpulp] via [Gizmodo]

  Apple has updated iWork today at MacWorld.  In Keynote, you can set up objects in slides, and the software will do the work in moving objects between slides. With magic move, it’ll transition whichever object you want automatically, like rotating and resizing.  There are also new transitions for you keynote, such as "crane move", which shows you fly around your slide and land in front of you.

You can now buy Keynote Remote for iPhone and iPod Touch which allows remote keynote presentations on said device.

For Pages, Apple has added an outline view, which allows you to put down you outline prior to writing your document.

For numbers there is Mail Merge, which can connect with tables and lists in Numbers.  They have added new Table categories and 250 functions (with function view), which has the appropriate mouseovers and color coding to make things easier to understand. Advanced chart options, like mixed chart types, multiple axis charts, trend lines, and error bars. 

There are 40 new themes and features in which customers have said they wanted.  They wanted to focus on their consumer feedback and have finally delivered.

iWork ships today and is $79 for one license or $99 for a family license of 5.  You can also buy it with a new Mac for just $49.

Pages ’09 New Features

Creating the perfect brochure, flyer, report, or resume is faster and easier than ever.

    * Choose from 40 new Apple-designed templates (over 180 total).

    * Focus on your writing with new full-screen view.

    * Organize your ideas with dynamic outlines.

    * Customize your documents using mail merge with Numbers.

    * Insert equations with MathType 6 (sold separately).

    * Create bibliographies with EndNote X2 (sold separately).

    * Open, save, and email Microsoft Word files from within Pages.

Learn more about Pages ’09

Pages ’09 icon

Numbers ’09 New Features

Create spreadsheets, organize data, and write formulas with simple yet powerful tools.

    * Easily create formulas, using visual placeholders with plain language text.

    * Perform calculations using over 250 functions.

    * Organize your data instantly using Table Categories.

    * Check your calculations at a glance with Formula List view.

    * Create two-axis charts and combine line, column, and area series in a single mixed chart.

    * Choose from twelve new Apple-designed templates (30 total).

    * Open, save, and email Microsoft Excel files from within Numbers.

Learn more about Numbers ’09

Pages ’09 icon

Keynote ’09 New Features

Now creating a show-stopping presentation is surprisingly simple.

    * Easily create sophisticated animations with Magic Move.

    * Add dramatic object and text transitions using new visual effects.

    * Visualize your data with new styles and animations for 3D charts.

    * Dramatically reduce file size without compromising quality.

    * Create dynamic flowcharts and diagrams using connection lines. 

    * Choose from eight new Apple-designed themes (44 total).

    * Open, save, and email Microsoft Powerpoint files from within Keynote.

Learn more about Keynote ’09

System Requirements

    * Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (500MHz or faster) processor

    * 512MB of RAM; 1GB recommended

    * Approximately 1.2GB of available disk space

    * 32MB of video memory

    * Mac OS X v10.4.11 or Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later

    * QuickTime 7.5.5 or later

    * DVD drive required to install

    * Some features may require Internet access; additional fees and terms apply

Compatibility and Sharing

iWork ’09 makes it easy to exchange documents with anyone.

    * Open Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in iWork.

    * Save your iWork document as a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file.

    * Email your document as an iWork, Office, or PDF file from within iWork.

    * Share your work on iWork.com, Apple’s new document-sharing service, now available as a Public Beta. (Apple ID and email account required to publish documents and use the publisher link.)

What’s in the Box

    * DVD containing Keynote, Pages, Numbers, fonts, themes, and templates

    * Printed and electronic documentation

*The Family Pack Software License Agreement allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple software on up to a maximum of five (5) Apple-labeled computers at a time as long as those computers are located in the same household and used by persons who occupy that household. By “household” we mean a person or persons who share the same housing unit such as a home, apartment, mobile home, or condominium, including students who are primary residents of that household but reside at a separate on-campus location. This license does not extend to business or commercial users

[iWork09']

  Thanks to TUAW we have some of the fine points of the much needed refresh to the Mac Mini.  The first thing is that the Superdrive will be SATA, so you can either keep the drive or add a second hard drive as an option.  The next detail is that the Mac Mini will look more like the Time Capsule with a lip on the side which encapsulates the optical drive and provides for cooling, which eliminates the need for the vents on the back. The new Mac Mini will also be black and aluminum, like the current lineup of Macs.  It has been a long time coming for a refresh and we assume other details such as a core 2 duo, an Nvidia 9400M and the capability for more RAM.  In a few weeks, we’ll all know for sure.

[via TUAW]

  If you’ve been waiting for that new MacBook or perhaps just a new Mac in general, now is your chance to get the deals you were waiting for.  The deals are not yet live on Apple’s own site, but are active at MacMall and Best Buy.  Apple says they will be price matching as well, so you may just want to go that route.

[via Mac Rumors]